Bitch Media - Mirahhttp://bitchmagazine.org/taxonomy/term/3924/0
en17 New Songs We Lovehttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/17-new-songs-we-love
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/kaki_king.jpg" alt="KAKI KING" width="670" height="434" /></p>
<p>There is so much great new music out this month that I’m excited to highlight. Ready, set, get listening!</p>
<p><strong>1. Kaki King - "Tunnel"&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>Musician and composer&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kakiking.com/" target="_blank">Kaki King</a>&nbsp;(pitcured above)&nbsp;just released a stunning video for her new single “Tunnels” with Stereogum. Both her fingerpicking and the video visuals are hypnotizing. She’s a masterful guitarist, and makes it look effortless. It’s a brief song, but an apt intro to her skill, if you’re new to her, and a welcome return, if you’re a years-deep fan. “Tunnels” comes from her latest EP,&nbsp;<em>Everybody Glows</em>, which came out this week and is available&nbsp;<a href="https://kakiking.bandcamp.com/album/everybody-glows-b-sides-rarities" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Nqu2R-tOgaw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>2. Shookrah — "Woman"</strong></p>
<p>Irish trio <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shookrahcork" target="_blank">Shookrah</a> make R&amp;B and neo-soul influenced pop music with a feminist slant. Their debut EP, "Implicit Content," came out in October, leading with the anthem "Woman," which celebrates "womanity" and all the glories therein. Listen and buy the EP <a href="http://shookrah.bandcamp.com/">here</a>, and check out the single's video below.</p>
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<p><strong>3. Field Division – “Faultlines”</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FieldDivision" target="_blank">Field Division</a> are a duo originally from Des Moines, now working out of Nashville. Their sound has the same haunting, emotive quality as Fleet Foxes, led by Evelyn Taylor’s wistful vocals. Audio for the single is below, and their gorgeous latest EP, “Reverie State,” is <a href="http://fielddivision.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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<p><strong>4. Jessica Lea Mayfield – “No Fun”</strong></p>
<p>Alt-country singer <a href="http://jessicaleamayfield.com/" target="_blank">Jessica Lea Mayfield</a> manages to make pink deliciously menacing in her grungey new single “No Fun,” from this fall’s 7” <em>Standing in the Sun</em>. The star of the video is clearly Mayfield’s glittery guitar, which she named Barry after discovering it at a Guitar Emporium in Louisville. “I took it as a sign from Satan to play the guitar more,” she says of the drive to move out of country and into rock for the recording of <em>Standing in the Sun</em>. If the moody Nirvana-adjacent guitar work on “No Fun” is going to be the result, then Lucifer ain’t wrong.</p>
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<p><strong>5. Moira Smiley &amp; VOCO – “Laughter Out of Tears”</strong></p>
<p>If, like me, you spend some of your days missing <a href="http://youtu.be/glyErSTQrDI" target="_blank">Enya</a> and wondering what would happen if Enya and <a href="http://youtu.be/oj_WIqZc9KA" target="_blank">Abigail Washburn</a> made an album together, wonder no longer. <em>Laughter Out of Tears</em> is the stunningly beautiful new album from singer <a href="http://moirasmiley.com/store/" target="_blank">Moira Smiley</a> and VOCO, a collective of Eastern European musicians that add Croatian, Serbian, and Bulgarian lyrics to Smiley’s Appalachian-style folksong. The combination of voices is breathtaking, as is this record’s ability to synthesize disparate folk traditions seamlessly. This is music for mourning and dancing at the same time.</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/49583533&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true"></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>6. denitia and sene – “side fx”</strong></p>
<p>SXSW 2014 <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/revel-in-brooklyn-rb-duo-denitia-and-senes-moody-beats" target="_blank">discoveries</a> <a href="http://www.denitiaandsene.com/" target="_blank">denitia and sene</a> are back with “side fx,” which incorporates more video-game-leaning electronic instrumentation than the more sultry R&amp;B of their debut album. This song has an ebullience and danceability to it, made even more delectable because the lyrics are about a messy breakup. Who doesn’t love dancing through their damages?&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/168167503&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true"></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>7. Jennifer Knapp – <em>Set Me Free</em></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.jenniferknapp.com/">Jennifer Knapp</a> is a former Christian music star who came out as a lesbian and left her career in religious music to pursue secular singer-songwriting. Now signed to Righteous Babe Records, Knapp (who is still a Christian) has written a memoir about her experience called <em>Facing The Music</em> and has founded a nonprofit organization called <a href="insideoutfaith.org" target="_blank">Inside Out Faith</a> that seeks to engage communities of faith to include LGBTQ people. The music from her new album<em> Set Me Free </em>is straightforward, Lilith Fair folk-rock. She sings about feeling trapped and finding release—a message that will ring true for people of faith and marginalized populations alike.</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/56430148&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true"></iframe>
</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>8. Radclyffe Hall — <em>OMG EP</em></strong></p>
<p>This <a href="http://www.radclyffehallmusic.com" target="_blank">impeccably-named L.A. group</a>&nbsp;(Radclyffe Hall was the pen name of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.glbtq.com/literature/hall_radclyffe.html" target="_blank">Marguerite Radclyffe Hall</a>, a famous lesbian writer in the late 19<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;century.)recently released a new EP of dark, moody pop this fall, akin to My Midnight Hearts or Robyn.&nbsp;The group was started by Berklee grad Dhy Berry, whose previous band was also a literary-title goldmine (The Mrs. Danvers). Clever nomenclature aside, their brand of digi-pop is evocative, intense, and skillfully orchestrated. The EP is <a href="https://soundcloud.com/radclyffehallmusic/sets/extended-play/s-Hcp6e">here</a> for listening and purchase, and the video for the title track is below.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MJNHILVW_Rk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>9. Zola Jesus – <em>Taiga</em></strong></p>
<p>In a fantastic review of the operatically trained noise-pop singer <a href="http://www.zolajesus.com/" target="_blank">Zola Jesus</a>’ 2011 album, <em>Conatus</em>, Bitch contributor <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/b-sides-zola-jesus" target="_blank">Mac Pogue wrote</a> that Jesus has a voice that “bursts through the sludge” of her sometimes overwhelming atmospheric instrumentation. Her new album <em>Taiga</em> is more accessible than much of her past work, but her voice remains a powerful show-stealer. On “Go (Blank Sea),” below, she croons through her verses and swoops through the chorus, commanding every ounce of attention all the way.</p>
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<p><strong>10. Mirah – “Turned The Heat Off” (The Blow Mix)</strong></p>
<p>Hi. Yes. You read that right. <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/tag/the-blow" target="_blank">The Blow</a> remixed a <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/tag/mirah-2" target="_blank">Mirah</a> song. YOU’RE SO WELCOME!</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/167277059&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>11. Charlotte OC – “Strange”</strong></p>
<p>English singer <a href="http://charlotteoc.com/" target="_blank">Charlotte OC</a> just released a new EP, <em>Strange</em>, which showcases laid-back, sultry vocals reminiscent of Lana Del Ray, paired with digital backing that denitia and sene would approve of. In a Bechdel Test-bending move, the video for the title track is about a lover, but features only OC. It’s nice to see the focus on the performer, instead of a (usually male, usually distant) subject. Check it out below!</p>
<p><iframe width="575" height="324" src="http://cache.vevo.com/assets/html/embed.html?video=USUV71401457&amp;autoplay=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>12. Betty Who – <em>Take Me When You Go</em></strong></p>
<p>There is not a single thing I don’t love about this video. One, <a href="http://takemewhenyougo.bettywhomusic.com/" target="_blank">Betty Who</a> makes irresistible dance pop music. Two, she’s super tall and proud. (VIVA THE LANKY!) Three, I missed Rosie O’ Donnell’s accent more than I realized. Four, the story of the flash mob proposal using her music in a Home Depot is glorious. Five, KEYTAR. Betty’s new album, <em>Take Me When You Go, </em>which features “Somebody Loves You,” came out last month. Enjoy!</p>
<p><iframe width="644" height="362" src="//abc.go.com/embed/VDKA0_6rkk0m8w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>13. Trophy Wife —&nbsp;<em>All The Sides</em></strong></p>
<p>Diane Foglizzo and Katy Otto make up&nbsp;<a href="http://trophywifetheband.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Trophy Wife</a>, a rock band from Philly who just released their third album,&nbsp;<em>All the Sides</em>. Foglizzo's intense, echo-soaked guitar work gives depth to the pair's lighter layered vocals, which are unpolished and emotive. Their Bandcamp tags include the descriptor "heartcore," which gets at their appeal exactly. Particularly on a song that's a nod to Neil Young's "It Comes in Waves...", one of the album's best tracks, Trophy Wife demonstrates powerful, wall-of-sound instrumentation that pairs well with their exhilaratingly uncomplicated vocals.</p>
<p><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 42px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3462986511/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="http://trophywifetheband.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-sides">all the sides by trophy wife</a></iframe></p>
<p><strong>14. Girlpool – “Plants and Worms”</strong></p>
<p>Speaking of perfect music/video pairings, L.A. duo <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GIRLPOOOL" target="_blank">Girlpool</a> just released a strange and wonderful animated video for their latest single “Plants and Worms.” Artist Catleya Sherbow made the digital watercolor-looking backgrounds in the video, which seems like a psychadelic outtake from <em>Princess Mononoke. </em>The video matches the abrasive-yet-intriguing simplicity voices of bandmates Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad. Girlpool will release a self-titled EP on Wichita Recordings on November 18<sup>th</sup>. Keep an eye out!</p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OEM2D-BnvM8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>15. Olivia Jean – “Toot Toot Tootsie”</strong></p>
<p>Rockabilly singer <a href="http://www.oliviajeanmusic.com/" target="_blank">Olivia Jean</a> has lots of great names associated with her music. She’s the singer and guitarist for the Black Belles, she was in Karen Elson’s band, and she backed rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson. She’s now working on a solo career, and has the feisty lyrics, impeccable style, and commanding stage persona to go it alone. Her first single “Reminisce” is making the rounds, but I fell in love with her cover of “Toot Toot Tootsie” (first made famous by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD_YRnuuKyY" target="_blank">Al Jolson</a> in the 1927 film <em>Jazz Singer)</em>. She swings hard, growls where Jolson crooned, and otherwise smashes the cover to bits, in every best way possible.&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/167121511&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>16. Vök — Við Vökum</strong></p>
<p>Folk-pop giants Of Monsters and Men have dominated the world’s view of Iceland lately, aligning their island home with their Scandinavian neighbors, all of whom are famous for creating pitch-perfect folk and pop. Trio <a href="http://www.icelandmusic.is/music/artists/vok/656" target="_blank">Vök</a> are bringing Björk-style delicious weirdness back to Oceania. Lead singer Margret Ran Magnusdóttir is openly gay, and incorporates her sexuality into all aspects of the group’s image. Turn your November into Makeout-vember with the video to “Tension,” below.&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/218sAgRn5Kc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>17. tamtam – “Gender Game”</strong></p>
<p>This month’s epic roundup closes out with the breakout single from Saudi Arabian singer <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tamtammusic" target="_blank">tamtam</a>, “Gender Game.” It’s a soulful, catchy R&amp;B anthem, and the video features a diverse cast of women grooving to the song (and a scene-stealing young girl lip-syncing a speech excerpt from Betty Friedan). tamtam is now based in Los Angeles, and has launched a #GenderGame campaign on social media. She describes her goal as “to focus not on the gender-based limitations of a patriarchal society, but on what [we], as human beings, can gift to the world.”</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/j0XfwgbrWmo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>Related Reading: <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/los-angeles-duo-deap-vally-shred-their-way-to-a-dynamic-sound" target="_blank">Los Angeles Duo Deap Valley Shred Their Way to a Dynamic Sound.</a></em></p>
<p><em>Katie Presley writes about books and music, and tweets&nbsp;about everything else&nbsp;</em><em><a href="https://twitter.com/loveismaroon" target="_blank">@loveismaroon</a></em><em>. She lives in Austin.&nbsp;</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/17-new-songs-we-love#commentsdenetia and seneMirahThe BlowMusicWed, 12 Nov 2014 22:14:42 +0000Katie Presley29056 at http://bitchmagazine.orgBitchTapes: Nocturnal Pophttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/bitchtapes-nocturnal-pop
<p><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/tag/bitchtapes-30" target="_blank"><img src="http://bitchmagazine.org/sites/default/files/bitchtapes_NYE.jpg" alt="Bitchtapes" width="600" height="152" /></a></p>
<p>I've been having some lonely times recently and wanted a playlist to listen to while I fall asleep. That's what this mix is for—music to listen to in the dark. It's not a bunch of tearjerker breakup songs, though, who needs that when you're already lonely? Instead, I've been getting into this band&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/elephanttheband/info" target="_blank">Elephant</a>&nbsp;and they have the most hilarious official description for their genre: "Nocturnal Lo-Fi Bedroom Dreamy Beach Pop." YES. Nailed it. That's what I want: An hour-and-a-half of noctural, lo-fi, bedroom, dreamy, beach pop tunes.</p>
<p>So this mix includes Elephant as well as brand-new tracks from <a href="http://bit.ly/mirahinterview" target="_blank">Mirah</a>, Bonsai, Woman's Hour, and Lykke Li. Hope you like it.&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe src="http://8tracks.com/mixes/3968087/player_v3_universal" width="400" height="400" style="border: 0px none;"></iframe></p>
<p class="_8t_embed_p" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px;"><a href="">Nocturnal Pop</a> from <a href="">BitchTapes</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com">8tracks Radio</a>.</p>
<p>TRACK LIST:&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Her Ghost - Woman's Hour</p>
<p class="p1">No Rest for the Wicked - Lykke Li&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Seven - Fever Ray</p>
<p class="p1">A Walk - Tycho&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Smells Like Content - The Books</p>
<p class="p1">Myth - Beach House</p>
<p class="p1">Oxen Hope - Mirah</p>
<p class="p1">Rapture (Sweet Rapture) - A.A. Bondy&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">To Be a Dance (I am Alive) - Lovers</p>
<p class="p1">Still Light - The Knife&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Leaf House - Animal Collective&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Dance of the Honey Bees - Pantaleimon</p>
<p class="p1">Torn Tongues - Elephant</p>
<p class="p1">I Fashioned You're a Dreamer - Bonsai&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">La Sirena - Feist&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">B + A - The Beta Band&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">After the Curtain - Beirut&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Starting Over (Bad Habits) - Typhoon</p>
<p class="p1">Sleep Tonight - Stars</p>
<p class="p1">Only Lonely Lovers - Pure Bathing Culture</p>
<p class="p1">I Cried - June Sims</p>
<p class="p1">End of the Line - Nina Simone</p>
<p><em>Browse more than <a href="http://8tracks.com/bitchtapes" target="_blank">200 feminist mixtapes right here</a>. Oh and! If you like this mix, read our <a href="http://bit.ly/mirahinterview" target="_blank">recent interview with Mirah</a>.&nbsp;</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/bitchtapes-nocturnal-pop#commentsBitchTapesMirahMusicFri, 09 May 2014 17:25:01 +0000Sarah Mirk25959 at http://bitchmagazine.orgThe One-and-Only Mirah Talks About Her Brand New Albumhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-one-and-only-mirah-talks-about-her-brand-new-album
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/mirah12.jpg" alt="Mirah" width="670" height="440" /></p>
<p><em>Mirah released her first album in 2001—this May, she's releasing her first record on her own label. Photo by Terrorbird Media.</em></p>
<p>I started listening to musician <a href="http://www.mirahmusic.com/changing-light/" target="_blank">Mirah</a> when I was in high school, so I was really excited to have the opportunity to interview her about her new album before she performed in Los Angeles this spring. I've always been inspired by Mirah's ability to write music that feels intimate and human and approachable, and that speaks frankly about sex and desire and self-exploration. Mirah is primarily a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter who started making music in the late 1990s in Olympia, Washington, and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. She released four solo albums with <a href="http://shop.krecs.com/" target="_blank">K Records</a> and on May 13th is releasing her new album,&nbsp;<em><a href="http://www.mirahmusic.com/changing-light/" target="_blank">Changing Light</a>,</em>&nbsp;on her own independent imprint, Absolute Magnitude. Here, I got to talk to her about intentionality in her songwriting, what it's like to put an album out by herself, and what she's looking for in a band-mate.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>AMELIA AYRELAN IUVINO: You’ve been on tour recently to promote your album. You know, I think it took me a good long time of being a music fan before I realized that people went on tour to promote new albums. I thought that they just went on tour when they felt like it.</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p>MIRAH:&nbsp; Actually, I did only go on tour when I felt like it for the first ten years that I was playing music. It’s not that I didn’t know the rules, it’s like I didn’t even know there were rules. I didn’t even know that there was some way that you’re supposed to do it. Now it seems very obvious. You make the thing, and then you promote the thing, but it never occurred to me. I only ever just did what seemed fun or interesting. It didn’t have to do with any expectation of some promotional, strategic plan.</p>
<p><strong>At what point in your musical career did you stop needing to do other work for money?</strong></p>
<p>It’s not a stable job. I haven’t had to have a job besides music for a number of years, except for one year where I decided not to tour and I worked at the farmer’s market, and it was the best. It was so great! I had a schedule, and I got all the free vegetables that I could possibly want. But there must be some kind of tipping point for people where they actually feel like, “I won’t have to get a job again.” But I worry every single day, like—I’m 39. I’ve been doing this for a really long time, and I’m not, like, Really Famous! I’m not like, selling millions of records, or even hundreds of thousands. I’m selling tens of thousands, which is amazing. I feel so blessed! It’s great! And there’s no security at all! I just try to have everything at least break even, you know. I mean, that’s why making a record is just like, “Sure, why don’t you just run that card for $10,000. And I’ll have a pre-order campaign. Hope it works out!” That seems totally crazy, although for people who are more used to the business side of things, maybe it doesn’t seem so crazy. But I’m just used to, you know, within a 24-hour period, you pay for gas and food, and then you make some money at the show. For gas and food. It’s really simple. I guess it’s good for me to try to picture things bigger, but I’m too much of a punk and not enough of a businessperson.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>This is what I want to ask you about, though. It’s about releasing this album independently, and how that was for you, and what went into that process.</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Well, I had decided a long time ago that I wanted to make a new record. I’d started writing songs. I was going through a lot of transitions, moving, and then moving again a bunch of times. Having this idea that I wanted to make a record, knowing that I didn’t want to put it out on K anymore, because it’s sort of like K [Records] is my family of origin, and then I wanted to individuate. I felt like I haven’t even lived in Olympia for a long time, and now I’m from myself. I’m not from there, I’m not from K. And I just wasn’t really identifying with them as strongly as I had when I first started putting out records and that was my home.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>It seems like you’ve had a lot of homes, places you’ve really invested in and put time into and adopted.</strong></p>
<p>Yeah, I have, and because there was a succession of those places, it just started feeling not correct. Not up to date with my current self. Even musically, I feel like the music that I was making and wanted to make didn’t necessarily fit in with the other bands that were coming out on K. And it just seemed like, “Okay, time to move on.” I’m not a band that puts out a record every year. I’m not on that schedule. And that’s partly because I’m mostly just doing everything myself, so it’s slower. And I’m not making music as a strategic businessperson. I just write songs and record them because that’s what I’ve learned how to do. That’s what I’ve learned that I can do. That’s what I’ve learned that I’m good at and that I enjoy, and so I’m not trying to make it big. That would really be helpful if I did, but it’s not a strategic venture.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/mirah-lpcover-draft.jpeg" alt="the cover of mirah's new album" width="330" height="330" /><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/photo_large.jpg" alt="mirah playing cards" width="320" height="330" /></p>
<p><em>The cover of Mirah's new album, <a href="http://www.mirahmusic.com/changing-light/" target="_blank">Changing Light</a>, and a set of <a href="http://shop.krecs.com/collections/misc/products/playing-cards" target="_blank">Mirah-themed playing cards</a> made by K Records.</em></p>
<p><strong>It must be a lot more work to put the album out yourself, though, right?</strong></p>
<p>Yeah, it’s funny because I actually have a lot of people helping me with all of the different necessary steps. I hired a project manager who helped with a lot of the album art design stuff and communicating about a lot of the manufacturing details with the manufacturing house. K is helping me with the distribution of the record. It’s an independent release with support from K, because the record is still going to be distributed by K. So I have all of these different people helping me with all of these different aspects, but I’m like the boss, and I have to approve everything and coordinate everybody. I’m not that good at it, but I did it, and everything turned out great, so I guess maybe I’m better at it than I think I am. But, yeah, it was a lot of work. I mean really, if I could have just been on tour for most of the past year instead of being in front of my computer writing emails and coordinating all of these details, I would have totally chosen tour over that. Because when you’re on tour, sure, I don’t get enough sleep, I miss being able to cook food for myself, and my body gets bored in the van. There are things about touring that are uncomfortable and it’s great! You get to play a show every day! It’s so fun! It’s different every day and some shows suck, and then the next day you’re really bummed and you feel like quitting, and then you have an amazing show and you’re so psyched. So it’s just a wild ride.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>I know you’ve said that this album is about a lot of transitions that were going on in your life at the time. I read a press release that said it was about a breakup, but I also wanted to ask what the album represents for you, and what kind of things are in it that tie into your other work.</strong></p>
<p>It’s funny, you know, one of the reasons why, when we were writing the one-sheet, we were like, “Well, I guess, you know, sure, we’ll put in, ‘It’s a breakup record,’” because people not only understand what that means, they like it. And that’s an accurate representation, in a way. But I wrote the songs over a period of four years. It took a really long time to make the record. I wasn’t working on that record every day of the four years; I was living my life. I was recovering from a breakup and doing a lot of healing. I moved like five times to several different states across the country, back and forth. I was bicoastal. I was all over the place. And because I wrote the songs over a period of four years, the songs are each about a really different stage— it’s not just about breaking up and then recovering from the breakup. It’s also about growing up. It’s interesting getting older, you know, like there are all these different stages of growing up where you feel like, “Oh, now I’m old.” I mean, I can remember being in my twenties and thinking, “Oh, this is my adult life.” I was practicing just using that word to describe myself. Like, “Yes, I’m an adult.” I had to practice because it felt awkward and not accurate, but it keeps going. And I find aging to be really fascinating. Like, today, we stopped to pee at a rest stop and we were stretching and I was looking at my knees. There are wrinkles on my knees. Like, my skin is changing. And I’m not doing that. I’m not deciding to do that. I’m not deciding <em>not</em> to do it, like some people, but it’s amazing to be transforming all of the time. It’s me, so I’m inside of it, but I can also watch it happening. So that’s happening on a physical level all the time, but it’s also happening on every level. Just in the last four years, I feel like there’ve been a lot of transformations for me on all of those levels. So that’s what the album is about. It’s not about my wrinkly knees. It’s about that continual process of transforming. There’s anger in there, and there’s a sort of… redemption is not really the right word, but it’s like a clearing. So it probably sounds softer than someone might expect a breakup album to sound.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Yeah. I was a big fan of <em><a href="http://shop.krecs.com/collections/all/products/klp112" target="_blank">You Think It’s Like This But Really It’s Like This</a> </em>when I was in high school. I really appreciated the way that you wrote about female desire, and it feels like you’re still doing that on this album. I felt like there was longing and frustration at different times. So I think that’s what it reminds me of. Is writing about female desire something that you try to do? </strong></p>
<p>I’m not a very intentional songwriter, and that’s interesting to me because I’m a very intentional person. I can be very careful and tidy about things. I like certain things to be just so, and I like to plan things. I am a Virgo. But I think that writing songs is a way that I can unplug the parts that are usually all plugged together. I do have to be very specific with the words. It takes me a long time. I have to roll them around in my mouth a lot. But it’s simply emotional expression. I’m a very emotional person, and you know, I also have to function in the world. I have to then plug all these different parts together, so that I can go around without getting squashed by all the rest of the things that are happening around me. So writing about female desire? I mean, yeah, I lived in Olympia in the ‘90s. I went to Evergreen. There was a lot of very intentional work, artwork and music, that was happening there at that time, specifically the artistic expression of wanting to write about this or that thing, like female desire or, you know, female power. It’s interesting to me because I know that I was being infused with that energy by living there, but I also wasn’t a riot girl. I’m not a group-joiner. And it’s funny because that’s such an outsider group. Riot girls, like any other outsider group, it’s a very particular subculture, expression, and community. But I still didn’t quite identify because I’m just me, and there’s only one of me. Even though I felt like I was part of a community, definitely, being there. I guess a lot of my songs do contain that, because of who I am, but I wasn’t writing "about female desire." I think there’s a distinction between having an agenda as a person and then having an agenda as a creator of publically consumed works, or works which are consumed by the public. Except for a few examples, I don’t write overtly political songs, like political rallying cries. I’m not Le Tigre. But as a person, sure, there’s an agenda there. As a kid, my whole purpose was trying to fix everything and save the planet. And in some way, I feel like I am still doing that, because I’ve come to this place where I feel like there is a lot of powerful good that can be done when people are able to connect with themselves, and therefore are able to connect with other people, and the way that that spirals out has an outwardly positive effect. I relate to my emotions and I relate to the emotions of other people and I think that can be overlooked as a source of powerful connection and action. So I feel like in my work I choose not to overlook that.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/thaoandmirah.jpg" alt="the album cover of thao and mirah" width="320" height="320" /><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/klp112lp_grande.jpg" alt="album cover" width="320" height="320" /></p>
<p><strong>I think that makes sense. Another thing I wanted to ask you about was female collaboration in your work, because I know you released that <a href="http://killrockstars.merchtable.com/music/cds-and-dvds/thao-and-mirah-thao-and-mirah-cd#.U2qww61dWzA" target="_blank">album with Thao Nguyen</a>, and I feel like there are so few of those kinds of collaborations where female artists just work together.</strong></p>
<p>Well, I feel like I have spent a lot of time in my comfort zones. I have very supportive hippie parents—if I wanted to start studying the violin, they were like, “Great!” And if I wanted to quit the violin they were like, ”Totally fine! Yeah!” Or if I wanted to go to Russia on a peace walk they were like, “Yes! We support you!” And if I wanted to graduate high school a year early, or whatever I was going to do—very supportive. I went to Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Very supportive. Not very challenging. Like my parents. And there’s a part of me that feels like, “Oh, I should try to be part of the real world,” where it’s like being in one of those game shows on television where they throw you into some trap or trick. Isn’t that what the world’s like? But I’m actually not very comfortable with so many things, and I really don’t understand a lot of the ways that the world seems to be, and a lot of people, and so I like to work with people who I feel comfortable with, and I feel really just much more comfortable with women and queer people, and so that’s why I’ve done it. Because, well, those are the people who have been around me.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>What else have you been working on lately, other than the tour and releasing the album?</strong></p>
<p>Actually, the main thing I’ve been doing is putting together a band. Because I was on the West Coast for 20 years, and that’s where I was living when I started making music, all my music people—all the people who’d been in my band or who’d been recording with me over the years—were all in the Northwest or in San Francisco or in LA. Then I moved to New York and I was like, “Wait! If I want to play a show, I have to fly everybody from the West Coast.” I still play with my West Coast people, but I needed to start developing my musical relationships on the East Coast and in New York.</p>
<p><strong>So what’s important to you when you’re talking to people and trying to put together a band? What are you looking for in people?</strong></p>
<p>When I am looking for band members, I start out finding people based on who plays what, but really, the initial deciding factor about whether I even make a date to try to play music with them is whether I could live with them in a van and share a hotel room or bed or whatever. If I could imagine spending a lot of time with that person and having a good time, then they are a hundred percent more likely to be in the band. I think if I didn’t care about my connections with people, and it was really just about business and putting on a good show, and making a record—if I was only concerned with that, I think I shouldn’t even meet people first, and just have people send in auditions on tape, and I would be a hardened businessperson and I would make all my decisions based on, I don’t know, how to put on this dazzling show and bring in a million people and a million dollars. But instead, I’m really interested in having a good time. And so, luckily, a lot of people who are really awesome also can play music really well. But I find that out after the fact.</p>
<p><em>Related Reading: <a href="/article/break-me-off-a-piece-of-that-breakup-song" target="_blank">Thao Nguyen Writes About the Perverse Pleasure of Painful Breakup Songs</a>.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><em>Amelia Ayrelan Iuvino is a writer and reader currently living in Portland, Oregon who is moving to Austin, Texas soon to start a Sociology PhD adventure.</em></p>
<hr />
<p><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/read-an-important-letter-from-kathleen-hanna" target="_blank">Read an important letter from Bitch subscriber Kathleen Hanna</a>.&nbsp;</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-one-and-only-mirah-talks-about-her-brand-new-album#commentsK RecordsMirahMusicWed, 07 May 2014 22:26:08 +0000Amelia Ayrelan Iuvino25915 at http://bitchmagazine.orgMirah and Tender Forever's "Low Self Control" Video Gives Us More Reasons to Listen to the Track on Repeathttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/mirah-and-tender-forevers-low-self-control-video-gives-us-more-reasons-to-listen-to-the-track-o
<p>We've been loving the Mirah and Tender Forever track "Low Self Control" around the office since it came out last month, and now <a href="http://www.ifc.com/news/2011/09/premiere-mirah-low-self-control.php"target="_blank">there's a video</a>! </p>
<object id="flashObj" width="480" height="270" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=1149826540001&playerID=88218671001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAAAn_zM~,B6LaFUvNnt2RhwK5cjOvZ4hHQyd5XXC9&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=1149826540001&playerID=88218671001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAAAn_zM~,B6LaFUvNnt2RhwK5cjOvZ4hHQyd5XXC9&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="480" height="270" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><p>(Transcript on the way!)</p>
<p>I like how Mirah so effectively portrays different sides of herself (or is she actually playing multiple people?) and Tender Forever's Gordon Gekko-esque styling is totally badass. It's a bit of a departure for Mirah, sound- and aesthetics-wise, but I'm digging it. What do you think?</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/mirah-and-tender-forevers-low-self-control-video-gives-us-more-reasons-to-listen-to-the-track-o#commentsLow Self ControlMirahTender ForeverMusicMon, 12 Sep 2011 20:02:43 +0000Kelsey Wallace12518 at http://bitchmagazine.orgFive Reasons to See Thao & Mirah on Tourhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/five-reasons-to-see-thao-mirah-on-tour
<p>We got a chance to see the lovely <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thao-Mirah/138963656175005?ref=ts&amp;sk=info"target="_blank">Thao &amp; Mirah</a> here in Portland on Sunday night. They're on tour together in support of their <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/04/28/135143896/first-listen-thao-and-mirah-thao-and-mirah"target="_blank">collaborative album</a> (which is terrific!) and the show was a total blast. Here are five reasons to see these two—and the great musicians they're touring with—when they <a href="http://killrockstars.com/artists/viewartist.php?id=2636"target="_blank">roll through your town</a>:</p>
<p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2226/5707404187_3f8ce73da5_o.png" alt="Mirah and Thao on stage, shot from the side, each playing a guitar" /></p>
<p><b>1. The music is awesome.</b> The new album, <em>Thao &amp; Mirah</em> is terrific. Not only does it make for a great live show full of easy listenin', but because the collaboration is so well done, each singer/songwriter gets a chance to shine individually as well as together. They each played a few of their solo tracks as part of the set, too.</p>
<p><b>2. It's for a good cause.</b> As a part of the album and tour, Thao &amp; Mirah are teaming up with <a href="http://www.atctower.net/"target="_blank">Air Traffic Control</a> and donating a portion ticket sales to local nonprofits that work with survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. </p>
<p><b>3. The band is a-mazing</b>. I don't know if they'll be touring with the same musicians throughout the entire tour, but fingers crossed that they do. If this combination of violin/synth, upright bass, and killer drums with Thao and Mirah's guitar stylings is wrong, then I don't wanna be right (see video below for the band in action)!</p>
<p><b>4. There's pattycake.</b> That's right; Mirah and drummer Lisa Schonberg play pattycake to provide some of the percussion during the set. This already cool thing was made even cooler when Mirah told the crowd that she had bruises on her thighs from doing it night after night. Now that's some punk rock pattycake.</p>
<p><b>5. It's a feel-good fest!</b> Thao &amp; Mirah are good friends, and it shows. They're enjoying themselves on stage, the band is loving it, and the audience can't help but join in. Dancing, funny anecdotes (Mirah had issues entering and leaving Canada without a passport, but their status as a "girl band" got them through customs), and just plain good times abound. Need proof? Check out the video below, from when a <a href="http://www.girlsrockcamp.org/main/"target="_blank">Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls</a> auction winner got on stage with Thao &amp; Mirah to sing Thao's "Bag of Hammers." (Song lyrics can be found <a href="http://www.songlyrics.com/thao/bag-of-hammers-lyrics/"target="_blank">here</a>.) An upbeat sing-a-long that ends in hugs? Yep, sounds about right.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MCCZM0oPt9Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Thao &amp; Mirah are touring the US through the end of June. Check the dates <a href="http://killrockstars.com/artists/viewartist.php?id=2636"target="_blank">here</a> to see if they're coming to your town!</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/five-reasons-to-see-thao-mirah-on-tour#commentslive showMirahmusicThaoMusicTue, 10 May 2011 19:26:25 +0000Kelsey Wallace10239 at http://bitchmagazine.orgB-Sides Bonus: New Mirah Video!http://bitchmagazine.org/post/b-sides-bonus-new-mirah-video
<p>B-Sides Bonus! Because I couldn't figure out a way to fit this into my <a href="/post/b-sides-robyn-is-a-dancing-queen">Robyn post</a>, but I didn't want you to miss out on the new Mirah video! After all, not only is Mirah awesome, but this is just her second official music video ever! Check out "The Forest":</p>
<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w2xhNWRYBU4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w2xhNWRYBU4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>http://bitchmagazine.org/post/b-sides-bonus-new-mirah-video#commentsb-sidesK RecordsMirahThe ForestMusicTue, 23 Nov 2010 22:02:34 +0000Kelsey Wallace7024 at http://bitchmagazine.orgLadies Talkin' 'bout Sexhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/ladies-talkin-about-sex
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2252/Let_s_talk_about_sex_.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="Let_s_talk_about_sex_.jpg" /></p>
<p>Throughout recent history, society at large has stereotyped ladyfolk as demure and pure certainly not interested in The Sex (save for sluts, a shameful variety of the ladyfolk who *gasp* enjoy having sex, sometimes even before or outside of marriage). Well, the female musicians and bands that follow give tired sex-related gender roles a big ol' slap in the face with unabashed lyrics and straight-up badassness.</p>
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"I Just Want to Make Love to You" -- Etta James</p>
<p>Let's start simple. Etta just wants to make love. To you. Okay, okay, it doesn't seem like a super-revolutionary song nowadays. But it's a step in the right direction--toward women asserting their sexual desire without shame. No?</p>
<p>"Let's Talk About Sex" -- Salt-n-Pepa</p>
<p>This trio of women makes a bit more of a blatant message, focusing on open communication and safe sex. And who doesn't love an early '90's hip-hop hit?</p>
<p>"Healthy Sex" -- Lactatious</p>
<p>While we're on the topic of safe sex promoted by all-female hip-hop groups, how about some Lactatious? Forming in our very own Portland, Oregon, these three know what's what when it comes to protection. Aww yeah.</p>
<p>"Hot in Herre" (cover) -- Jenny Owen Youngs</p>
<p>In what is perhaps my favorite cover of a hip-hop song to date, JOY encourages us all to take off all our clothes.</p>
<p>"Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above" -- CSS</p>
<p>CSS isn't comprised solely of women but front woman Lovefoxxx coauthored "Let's Make Love..."</p>
<p>"La Familia" (remix) -- Mirah</p>
<p>A bit less explicit slash slightly more euphemistic than some other songs on here, but how could I possibly leave out Mirah?</p>
<p>"I Touch Myself" -- Divinyls</p>
<p>This 1991 hit may not have been the first pop song about masturbation, but it's arguably the most obvious.</p>
<p>"Fuck the Pain Away" -- Peaches</p>
<p>Last but certainly not least, I present you with the queen of gender-bending and sex-centric lyrics, Peaches.</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/ladies-talkin-about-sex#commentsCSSDivinylsEtta Jamesfemale musiciansfemale sexualityJenny Owen YoungsLactatiousMirahPeachesSalt 'n' PepasexsexualityMusicTue, 21 Jul 2009 19:20:50 +0000Malori Maloney1903 at http://bitchmagazine.org